I hope that reading these memories of how I had journal and scripture time with my preschoolers will trigger an idea that will work for you in your family.
When my children were small, life was so busy, there was little time to spare. By nap time which came after lunch, I was exhausted and looking forward to a bit of quiet time. I'd put the baby to bed, take the phone off the hook, and then snuggle up in bed with my preschooler, my scriptures, tons of story books, and our journals. We'd start with my preschooler's journal. I'd ask them about their day and then record their response word for word in their journal, asking questions as needed to keep them going. Next, I'd give my child a pencil and a clean journal page and ask them to draw a picture about their day. While they drew, I would write a bit in my own journal. After that, I'd ask my child to tell me about their picture and I'd label it according to their responses. After that I'd read them a story or two, and then give them books to "read" their own story while I read my scriptures. Usually my preschooler was asleep when I was done reading and I'd either tip toe out, hang up the phone, and get to work on whatever needed it the most, or fall asleep myself, depending on my level of exhaustion. Even a power nap of ten or fifteen minutes was wonderful!
No, it didn't go perfectly every day, and, yes, other things sometimes got in the way, but it was a priority that was worth keeping, and I did.
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